


Shaking hands

by unoshjt1100



Series: JJ and Charlie [1]
Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, JJ (Outer Banks) Deserves Better, Literal Sleeping Together, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24006136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unoshjt1100/pseuds/unoshjt1100
Summary: JJ seeks refuge after a bad night.
Relationships: JJ/OFC
Series: JJ and Charlie [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1731292
Comments: 3
Kudos: 61





	Shaking hands

**Author's Note:**

> I love JJ and he deserves better. This is just a little fic about him getting some of the love he deserves... well kinda. Anyways let me know what you think in the comments.

JJ pulls out the key he keeps in his shorts pocket and tries to place it in the keyhole. His hands are shaking and he keeps missing by less than a millimetre.  
Cursing on another failed attempt, JJ leans his forehead against the cool wooden door in front of him and just breathes. Or he tries too. But he seems incapable of not fucking even something as simple as breathing up as he shudders and pants unevenly. He had run all the way here, along the beach. His feet are bare, most likely cut up from whatever the hell trash lines the shore. He would have taken the road if he trusted himself to navigate the dark streets.  
Now here he is, barely breathing and shaking like a leaf. He’s not sure if it’s the adrenaline crash, the cold, or the fear that still resides in his bones from his latest confrontation with his father. He opens his eyes and attempts to insert the key into the door once more.  
He curses when his fingers shake and he considers knocking, but he knows, he knows she’s asleep and he can’t be the reason she doesn’t sleep again.  
But he can’t get the damn key in the hole and he just collapses against the door and slowly sinks to the ground. There’s a squelching sound underneath him as he sits on the sopping wet mat underneath him.  
He glances down at the letters illuminated by the full moon above him and his lips quirk in an almost smile as he reads them, recalling the day Charlie bought it.

“Hi, I’m Mat? I don’t live with a Matt JJ.”  
“No no, it’s a joke, Charlie. The mat is saying hi to the people that step on it.”  
“That’s not even funny, it’s just lame.” JJ fakes a hurt expression.  
“It’s not lame, it’s classic and let me tell you, hilarious.” She regards him with a quirked eyebrow.  
“You didn’t even laugh, and besides why do I need a mat.”  
“For people to wipe their shoes on, duh.” She takes the mat from his hands.  
“This material will just soak up any water that it touches and then it will just be a wet mat all the time that has a lame joke on it.”  
“Wow just can’t stop shitting on the mat huh?” She sighs exasperatedly but he can hear the laugh in it as she fights a smile.  
“You’re impossible.” She glances at the mat held in one hand, then back at him. She places the mat in the cart. She continues walking down the aisle. JJ’s mouth almost drops open in surprise. He hadn’t actually expected her to buy it, he just thought a mat would be nice for a new house. He knew he and his father always tracked sand into the house, his dad had never made any type of effort to keep anything clean and JJ thought of his trash house in distaste, imagining the smell of weed and beer. Empties littering every surface surrounded by sand in places sand was never meant to be. He just thought a mat might help, the lame joke just enhanced the stupid thing.  
“You coming?” JJ was shaken from his thoughts to see Charlie waiting for him at the end of the long aisle. He quickly caught up to her as she turned to continue walking. He threw his arm around her shoulders and pressed a quick kiss to her hair.  
“Sorry just thinking.”  
“About?”  
“How you should buy a motion detector disco light to put above that mat on the porch.” She laughed as she shoved him lightly.  
“And this is why people tell you you’re gonna hurt yourself thinking.”

His breathing has finally evened out a bit and he leans his head back from where he had been clutching it in his hands. His eyes slip close as the exhaustion sets in more fully. It’s gotta be at least 3 in the morning and he just ran however many miles to collapse on the front porch of a girl who bought a mat because he thought it was funny.  
Now all he wants to do is to collapse in a warm bed with Charlie and sleep for many many years. He sniffs the air once and then adds a shower to his list.  
He’s stopped shaking so badly and he drags himself to his feet to finally insert the key and walk inside the silent house.  
He makes his way to the bedroom and quietly peeks inside. He can make out Charlie laying on her stomach, face turned slightly toward him. JJ moves closer and can finally make out her features in the moonlight. Just seeing her calms him more effectively than anything has before.  
Her long eyelashes casting shadows just below her eyes and the light brown freckles covering her cheekbones and nose, darkened by the sun. Her caramel curls are splayed haphazardly over the pillow and obscure a small portion of her face. JJ brings his hand up and softly tucks a small tuft of soft hair behind her ear. He leans down, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead and turns to leave.  
He’s planning on crashing on the couch or bringing grabbing a couple of blankets to hunker down on the floor for the night when he hears rustling from behind him. He doesn’t turn until he hears a soft, sleepy voice question, “JJ?”  
He turns back around to see Charlie sitting up, she looks confused and the sleep is still present in her eyes.  
“Hey, Char just go back to sleep.”  
She ignores his words, “What are ya doin?” And JJ isn’t really sure of the answer to that question. He doesn’t really know why he decided to run here of all places. Usually, he would just shut himself in his bedroom or camp out under the stars.  
Her sleep-addled mind seems to realize he’s not going to answer and instead he watches as she pulls back the covers of her bed. He’s about to rush over to tell her to stay in bed and sleep when he watches as all she does is move further into the bed and pats the space beside her as she lies back down.  
JJ weighs his options quickly before moving forward and slipping off his boots. He may as well use the bed while he’s got the chance before they both fully wake up and she decides she wants nothing to do with him and his baggage.  
He hesitates at his jeans, unsure as to whether or not he should be taking them off, he’s saved from the decision by Charlie.  
“It’s fine, can’t be comfortable to sleep in.” So he takes them off discarding them on top of his boots and finally lowers himself onto the bed.  
He just sits there for a moment, still unsure but he feels a tug on his arm and he goes pliant under the gentle touch, soon enough he’s laying down and sinking into the softness.  
He’s still cold and he knows that his skin is freezing but he feels warm legs tangle with his own as he turns on his side to really breathe her in. He’s not sure what he’s allowed, how much touching he can get away with. He wants the contact, desperately craves to feel close to someone with no intention of hurt from either end.  
He’s on his side and gentle hands guide him down so his head is resting over a strong, steady heartbeat.  
“This ok?” Charlie whispers into his ear. He almost cries at the innocence of the question. No one has ever really bothered asking whether or not touching him is ok. No one has really touched him without the intent of hurting him in a long time either so…  
He can only nod in response, in fear of his voice breaking or failing him.  
JJ didn’t realize he was still tense until fingers begin to run slowly through his hair and he goes completely boneless, collapsing into the warmth of her, his arms coming around her waist, pulling himself closer. He buries his face into her neck and inhales the scent of honey and saltwater that is purely her and he finally, finally feels safe.  
He doesn’t know why he’s here. He doesn’t know why this is safe. But he doesn’t care. He closes his eyes and listens when the soft voice whispers one command into his ear, breath caressing his skin, “Sleep baby. I got you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is possibly the first in a series with this pairing if you guys like it. Never really done anything like this before so criticism welcome. Not really sure what I think of it myself so...


End file.
